A Holiday by the Sea
by 68guns
Summary: ELF of course! Bridger and Lucas's working holiday takes an unexpected turn.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Lucas dove off the path and burrowed into the underbrush, praying that he wouldn't be seen. Branches caught at his hair and scratched his skin but he pushed on, ignoring the pain. He hit the ground and crawled into a tangle of dense growth as he heard the sounds of pursuit crashing toward him. His breath came in gasps, and he shoved his fist into his mouth to try to stifle the sound.

"Lucas!" a voice roared. "Where are you? You can't hide forever, boy, you might as well come out now!"

Lucas felt his heart pounding, the rapid beat pulsing in his ears. It was so loud that he was sure his pursuer would be able to hear it. The sounds approached his hiding place and slowed. Then there was silence. Lucas closed his eyes, every muscle tensed as he waited, fearing that at any moment he would be discovered. After several moments that seemed like an eternity, he heard footsteps heading in the opposite direction, toward the beach. He slumped in relief, but quickly pulled himself together and headed deeper into the jungle. He had to find another hiding place before his time ran out…


	2. Chapter 1

Six Weeks Earlier

 _Bridger: Don't worry, Lucas. Next year's going to be great.  
Lucas: What're we going to do?  
Bridger: Well, first of all there's a small matter of building a new boat.  
_

Lucas finished packing the few items of clothing he had picked up since losing everything in the destruction of _seaQuest DSV_ two weeks earlier. He knew the calculated loss of the vessel had been necessary to close the river of lava that threatened to destroy the ecology of the ocean, but it was still hard to come to grips with the fact that he had nothing left. All his clothes, all his music, all his equipment - gone.

He crossed to the window of the hotel room and looked down at the beach. His only consolation was in the sight of the blue ocean, stretching to the horizon, teeming with life. Disaster for the oceans and therefore the planet had been averted.

A knock sounded on his door. "Lucas?" a voice called. "You ready?"

"Coming!" Lucas turned away from the window and grabbed his bag. He opened the door and saw Captain Bridger waiting in the hallway. Bridger was casually dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian-print shirt, carrying a duffel bag.

"Good morning," Bridger said cheerfully. "You ready to go?"

Lucas stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. "I'm ready. But are you sure about this, Captain? I mean, I don't want you to feel like you have to invite me to stay with you just because Dad's doing emergency work on World Power. I can find somewhere to go."

Bridger felt a rush of sympathy at the uncertain look on Lucas's face and the hesitant tone of his voice. Lucas put on a brave front, but Bridger had been there on the beach when Lawrence Wolanczak's concern for his son had been diverted so quickly to discussions on saving the World Power project.

"I don't feel like I **have** to invite you to stay with me, Lucas." Bridger reached out a hand and clapped Lucas on the shoulder. "I **want** you to stay with me. I'm going to need your help in the _seaQuest_ redesign. There's no one I can think of who would be of more help, and no one whose company I'd enjoy more."

Lucas flushed with pleasure. "Thanks, Captain."

Bridger put his arm around Lucas's shoulders and started down the hallway. "So let's get going, then. We've got a long trip ahead of us."

Bridger had invited Lucas to spend the next few months with him on his island in the Caribbean. He and Lucas both needed to get away - Bridger from the trauma of watching his life's dream, the _seaQuest_ , crash and burn, and Lucas from yet another careless dismissal by his father. Bridger thought the time together would do them both good and give them a chance to brainstorm on some redesign ideas. He was looking forward to spending some one-on-one time with the teen who had become an important part of his life.

The taxi ride to Perth Airport was spent in amiable silence, broken occasionally by idle chatter. At the airport, they checked in and settled down in Terminal 1 to wait for their flight. It was going to be a long trip. Their plans were to fly from Perth to Sydney, then after an overnight layover, on to Atlanta. They would spend a few days there to break up the flight time before heading to Trinidad via Miami. From Trinidad, there would be an island hopper to another smaller island, then by boat to Bridger's Island.

"Did you talk to your father before we left?" Bridger asked, as they sipped soft drinks in the terminal.

"I tried," Lucas said glumly. "I called his office, but his secretary blew me off. Then I called his cell, but his assistant answered and said he was too tied up to talk to me."

Bridger reached over and patted his knee. "Don't take it too hard. He's under a lot of pressure right now. I wish you could have seen him when the Chief pulled him out of the World Power control center and brought him back to _seaQuest._ His first thoughts were of you; he was frantic to see you."

"Yeah, well, that lasted about two minutes," Lucas muttered.

Bridger grimaced. Unfortunately, that was about right. Once Lawrence Wolanczak had assured himself that Lucas was alive and unharmed, his attention had turned 100 percent to analyzing the failure of World Power.

"Just give things a little time to settle down," he suggested. "Maybe in a few weeks, he'll have more free time. Besides, you and I are going to be busy. We've got a ship to redesign!"

Lucas looked up and a reluctant smile spread across his face. "I've been doing some thinking. I've got some ideas about improving Darwin's access to more areas of the ship…"

As he became more animated with the enthusiastic presentation of his ideas, Bridger smiled. Yes, this was just what Lucas needed to keep him from dwelling on his father's lack of attention. He vowed to make these few months unforgettable for Lucas.

* * *

Bridger unlocked the hotel room door and trudged inside, with only one thought on his mind. _Rest._ He and Lucas had been going non-stop for three days in Atlanta and he was exhausted. He sat down on the sofa in their suite and let his head fall back.

Lucas bounded into the room behind him. "Captain, this was the best yet! I never knew how much fun amusement parks can be! I loved all the roller coasters!"

Lucas and Bridger had spent the day at Six Flags Over Georgia. Bridger had not been surprised to learn that Lucas had never been to an amusement park. His parents may have taken care of him physically and made sure his mind was stimulated, but his childhood had been sadly lacking in the fun things that most children experienced.

Many people had predicted that amusement parks would go the way of 2-D movie theaters as virtual reality advances let people experience rides that couldn't be built, but there remained enough of a core of true adrenaline-junkies and curiosity seekers to keep amusement parks open and thriving. For those visitors, no virtual reality, no matter how real it seemed, could compare to the true experience.

"Yes, I could tell," Bridger said drily. "I think I clued into how much you like roller coasters after our fifteenth time on _Devastation._ "

Lucas grinned as he flung himself onto the sofa beside the Captain. "A hundred miles an hour, a 600-foot opening drop, four corkscrews, three double-helixes - what's not to like? This has been a great trip, Captain. Thanks for bringing me here."

Bridger smiled at the teen. "I'm glad you've had fun."

Bridger and Lucas had played the tourist game for three days now. In addition to the amusement park, they had taken in a major league baseball game, toured the global headquarters of Earth Cast News, visited the World of Coca-Cola, and seen the new Virtual Zoo. Lucas had even convinced Bridger to go to a concert by one of his favorite bands. Bridger couldn't honestly say he had enjoyed the music, but the company had been excellent.

Bridger yawned. "Are you going to be ready to hit the road bright and early tomorrow? We need to be at the airport at 6:00 am."

"Yeah, I'll be ready. It's been fun, but time to get to work, right?"

"A little work, a little play." Bridger ruffled the boy's hair. "We're still on vacation, remember?"

"Vacation is nice," Lucas said, yawning. "But a little goes a long way. I'm ready to get to work on the redesign."

Bridger had been amazed during the time he had known Lucas with the teen's capacity for work. His inquisitive mind couldn't be idle for too long. "OK, then. Let's get to bed. "

Lucas stood up and started across the room. Then he stopped and turned back to Bridger. "Captain, thanks again. I've never had this much fun in my whole life. I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome, kiddo."


	3. Chapter 2

Three Weeks Later, on Bridger's Island

Bridger quietly closed the door behind him as he left for his early morning walk. Lucas was still sleeping and Bridger didn't want to wake him. They had had a very productive session last night. Lucas's ideas on the redesign were nothing short of astounding, and Bridger couldn't wait until they could start implementing them.

The sun was already heating the air and drying the dew from the sparse plant growth near the house. Bridger decided to take a trail deep into the jungle of the island's interior. As he walked briskly along the path, his mind was on the plans for the redesigned _seaQuest._ That distraction was all he could blame when he stepped on a small limb that rolled under his foot, causing him to lose his balance and fall.

He fell off the path onto a steep incline and skidded down it, coming to a crashing stop in a shallow bowl-shaped indention in the earth filled with small brown mushrooms. As he lay on his back, winded, millions of tiny spores dislodged by his abrupt entry into the clearing flew up in a choking cloud of dust and slowly began to settle back toward the earth.

Bridger coughed as the cloud of spores enveloped him. The mushrooms had an extremely pungent odor and Bridger felt as though he were choking in the overwhelming scent. He rolled over to his knees and struggled to his feet.

Brushing off his clothes, he raised another cloud of spores that threatened to stifle him. He climbed up out of the shallow basin and back onto the main path. As he stood there, breathing heavily, he realized that blood was dripping from his head. Reaching up a hand, he felt a cut along his hairline above his left eyebrow. Putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding, he started back down the path toward the house.

As he headed down the path and neared the house, he felt a little dizzy and staggered slightly. As he did, he became aware of an approaching figure.

"Hey, Captain Bridger!" a concerned voice said. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Lucas ran to Bridger's side, putting a hand under his elbow to help him regain his balance. "Are you all right?" he asked, peering up into Bridger's face.

" I'm fine," Bridger responded. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and took a fall. But I'm okay."

Lucas waved a hand in front of his face. "Phew! No offense, but you stink! What is that smell?"

"Some kind of mushrooms or something that I fell into." Bridger brushed more of the spores from his clothes.

"Hey, you're bleeding!" Lucas exclaimed, as Bridger put his hand down from his forehead. "Come on back to the house and let me take a look at it."

Bridger had to smile at Lucas's mother hen mode as Lucas solicitously helped him along the path and into the house. He sat Bridger down at the kitchen table and ran to the bathroom for a first aid kit. Cleaning the cut, he announced, "I don't think it needs stitches. I'm just going to close it with a couple of butterfly bandages. Are you hurt anywhere else?" His tone betrayed his anxiety as he opened the bandages and applied them to the cut.

"No, I'm fine," Bridger said. But as he stood up, the room tilted crazily and he staggered to the side.

Lucas grabbed his arm. "Whoa! Maybe you better go lie down for a while."

Bridger closed his eyes, waiting for the off-balance feeling to end. "I think you might be right." Opening his eyes, he found the feeling subsiding but still didn't feel completely steady. "Do you mind giving me a hand up the stairs?"

Lucas looked at Bridger with a worried expression on his face. "Sure. Do you need a doctor? Should I get on the radio?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Bridger protested. "I just need to rest."

"Are you sure? Maybe we should get someone here just to take a look."

Bridger pressed his arm. "I'll be fine. Just give me a few hours."

As Lucas helped him into his room and he settled back on his bed, he closed his eyes against another wave of disorientation. Brightly-colored lights swirled behind his closed eyelids and his hearing seemed to fade in and out. He could just make out Lucas saying something about checking on him a little later before all his senses faded to blackness.

* * *

Lucas sat at the kitchen table and tried to concentrate on the blueprints spread across it, but his eyes wandered to the clock again for the fifth time in as many minutes. Captain Bridger had been asleep for forty-five minutes now. Lucas had already tiptoed up the stairs four times to check on him. Each time he had found the Captain sleeping peacefully, but Lucas was still worried whether he had done the right thing in not calling for help.

Just as he had decided to check again, he heard the sound of movement overhead. A minute later, Bridger came down the stairs and into the kitchen, rubbing a hand over his hair. He'd changed into a clean pair of khakis and a navy blue t-shirt, but the normally neatly-clad Bridger was disheveled, his shirt untucked and hanging loose, his hair standing on end.

"How are you feeling?"

Bridger sat down heavily at the table next to Lucas. "I'm fine. A few bumps and bruises, but no permanent damage done."

Lucas studied his friend carefully. The cut on his forehead looked clean and the bandages were holding the edges together. Bridger looked tired but his eyes were clear, although his pupils seemed slightly dilated. He seemed to be moving all right.

"So what are you working on?" Bridger yawned and leaned over the blueprints.

"Don't laugh, but I was just working on some modifications to the showering system. If we make some changes to the water storage and filtration systems, here and here, we can increase the pressure and the storage capacity so we can take longer showers with greater force. We might even be able to install some massaging showerheads." Lucas grinned at Bridger, remembering the complaints he had heard the captain himself making about the showers on the old _seaQuest._

Bridger frowned. "You're working on the showers when we still haven't finished with the bridge modifications?"

Lucas blinked in surprise. Bridger's tone of voice was clipped and irritated. "I - I'm sorry, Captain," he stammered. "It was just an idea I had - " His voice trailed off.

"I'd suggest you keep your mind on finishing up the bridge. We've still got plenty to work on there." Bridger got up from the table and started toward the refrigerator. "Let's fix some lunch and we'll get back to work."

Lucas stared down at the plans before him. Captain Bridger had never slapped down his ideas before. In fact, he had encouraged Lucas to think about all the ship systems, even telling him that there was no area so unimportant that improvements shouldn't be considered.

But if Bridger wanted to concentrate on the bridge, then that's what Lucas would do. He got up to help with the meal preparation, already focusing his mind on the improvements to the WSKRS that he and Bridger had been bouncing off each other for the last few days.

The simple meal of sandwiches and chips was eaten in mostly silence. Bridger seemed distracted and responded briefly and irritably to any attempts at conversation on Lucas's part.

"Let's get to work." Bridger abruptly snatched Lucas's plate from in front of him, even though Lucas wasn't finished yet. He put his and Lucas's plates in the sink with a clatter, then sat down at the table opposite Lucas, pulling the blueprints back into the center of the table. "We were talking about increasing the range of the WSKRS…"

Lucas yawned, glancing at the clock. 11:00 p.m. Surely Captain Bridger wasn't going to keep going for much longer. They had worked all afternoon and evening, barely taking a break for dinner. Bridger had rapped out orders, keeping Lucas jumping all day. His normally relaxed although disciplined approach to their design sessions was nowhere in evidence.

Lucas yawned again. In a crisis, he could easily go for two days without sleep, but without the adrenaline rush that those situations brought, he was losing his concentration. He hadn't worked this hard in the entire six weeks he had been here.

Except for his irritability and almost feverish concentration, Bridger seemed all right. Lucas had been surreptitiously studying him all day, wondering if this was some strange reaction to his head injury. But his mind was sharp and clear, pointing out modification opportunities and analyzing Lucas's ideas incisively. Maybe he just needed more rest.

"Lucas!" Bridger snapped. "Wake up!"

Lucas jumped. He hadn't even realized that his eyes were closed, but he had in fact been close to nodding off. "Sorry, Captain."

"You might as well go to bed." Bridger sounded disgusted. "You're useless in this condition. But I expect you first thing tomorrow, ready to work."

Lucas felt a flush rising to his face. He could count the times that Captain Bridger had dressed him down on the fingers of one hand and it always made him feel ashamed, even if he believed that he hadn't done anything wrong.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I'll do better tomorrow, I promise."

"I hope so." Bridger was already engrossed in studying the blueprints. "Just get out of here."

"Good night," Lucas said, as he headed for the stairs. There was no reply.


	4. Chapter 3

Bridger worked feverishly on the re-design plans until 5:00 a.m. Everything was so clear to him. The ideas exploded in his brain like fireworks, each brilliantly illuminated plan sparking others, all fitting seamlessly together. He could hardly write fast enough to capture them.

If Lucas was still here helping him, he could accomplish twice as much. He snorted in irritation at having to send the boy to bed. Hours were being wasted while the boy slept!

He headed for the stairs, his irritation growing with each step. At the boy's closed bedroom door, he paused and listened for sounds of stirring inside the room, but heard nothing. He flung the door open, sending it crashing against the wall.

In the pre-dawn light, he saw the boy startle awake, sitting bolt upright in the bed, his hair tousled with sleep, his eyes wide. "C-C-Captain?" he stammered, rubbing his eyes.

"Get up!" Bridger said harshly. "You're wasting time! We've got a lot to accomplish today!"

He saw the boy's eyes glance toward the clock. "Captain, it's only 5:00! Why are we starting so early?"

Bridger felt a rush of anger. How dare the boy question him! Striding toward the bed, he reached down and grabbed Lucas's t-shirt front, yanking the boy out of the bed and sending him sprawling onto the floor. "I brought you here to work, not sleep half the day and play the rest! I don't want a repeat of yesterday, do you understand me? You get up and get dressed and be downstairs in five minutes."

Glaring down at the wide-eyed boy on the floor, he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Lucas stared at the door, his mind in turmoil. Oh, my God, something was definitely wrong with the Captain. No matter how upset Bridger had ever been at Lucas, he had never laid a hand on him.

Lucas quickly threw on his clothes, then crept quietly down the stairs. Peeking into the kitchen, he saw Bridger's back was to the open door, so he swiftly raced past it and headed for the small room beyond it where the radio was kept. He needed to call someone - Dr. Westphalen, Commander Ford, anyone he could reach.

As he reached the radio room, he tried to turn the doorknob, but it didn't move. Surprised, he tried again, but the door was locked. What was going on? There were never any locked doors on the island. He hadn't even realized the doors could be locked.

Frustrated, he tried again, rattling the knob, but with no success. Suddenly he froze, the hairs on his neck standing straight up as he had the distinct feeling that someone was behind him. Turning slowly, he saw Bridger.

The Captain was even more disheveled than yesterday. He hadn't shaved or combed his hair, and his clothes were rumpled. But it was his eyes that shocked Lucas. His pupils were fully dilated, and the expression on his face was like nothing Lucas had ever seen. The only word he could think of to describe it was crazed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bridger asked, in a calm manner made menacing by the low tone of his voice.

"I - I - I was just going to use the radio," Lucas stammered.

"To waste time with some of your useless friends, I'm sure," Bridger retorted. "There will be none of that today, Lucas! You've wasted enough of my time. I expect you to focus on your work today, and by God, I had better see results! Get in here now!"

He reached for Lucas, but Lucas slipped by him and headed into the kitchen, where he sat down at the table, waiting fearfully for Bridger. Bridger followed and sat at the table, facing him. He threw a handful of handwritten notes across the table. "This is what I worked on after you quit last night," he snarled. "Get these put in order and written up neatly. And hurry up! There are so many more ideas in my head, I just need to get them down on paper!"

He turned away from Lucas and stalked out of the kitchen, heading into the living room. Lucas stared down at the notes in front of him, and his heart sank even further.

The scrawled words and figures on the paper made no sense at all.

* * *

Lucas looked nervously over his shoulder. He hadn't heard a sound from Captain Bridger in ten minutes. The day had been rough. The Captain's mind was all over the place on the _seaQuest_ redesign. Some of his ideas made sense, but as the day went on, he had become increasingly illogical and irrational. Lucas just tried to agree with him and acted like he was writing everything down, trying not to trigger another outburst of anger.

Lucas quietly got up from the table and tiptoed over to the door. Looking into the living room, he understood the silence. Captain Bridger had finally crashed and was asleep on the sofa. Stepping cautiously into the room, Lucas looked at the Captain carefully, making sure his breathing was all right. He seemed to just be deeply asleep. This was his chance. Lucas knew he needed the key to the radio room, but where would Captain Bridger have put it?

Holding his breath, Lucas gingerly patted the Captain's pockets. Nothing. He looked around the room. Maybe the Captain's desk? Trying to be as quiet as he could, he searched the top of the desk. Again, nothing. But as he opened the narrow center desk drawer, bingo! A set of keys.

Still scarcely daring to breath for fear of waking up Captain Bridger, Lucas swiftly went to the radio room door and began trying keys. Finally, one fit. He turned the key and quietly opened the door.

He could not control a small involuntary gasp when he saw what was inside. The radio had been smashed to pieces. The hammer which was obviously the weapon used to inflict the devastation lay in the middle of the shattered shortwave.

Now what? The Captain needed help, and he needed it fast. Lucas was afraid for the man. He obviously had a serious head injury.

Suddenly, Lucas thought of the boat that they had used to reach the island. It had a radio that he could use!

After making sure that the Captain was still asleep, Lucas quietly exited through the outside door, closing it behind him. Once outside, he set off at a run for the dock.

He felt a rush of relief as he saw the small red and white boat still tied to the dock. Reaching it, he jumped aboard and headed for the cabin. But his relief turned to dread when he saw a repeat of the scene inside the house – the radio smashed into pieces.

Although he hated to take the chance that the Captain's condition might worsen while he was gone, he decided that he might have to leave Captain Bridger behind and go for some help in the boat. The key was still in the ignition, so he turned it to start the engine.

Nothing happened.

Lucas crossed the deck to the engine, and frowned when he saw that the fiberglass engine cover was on the deck beside the engine. Then he saw the engine - or what was left of it. Every wire and engine piece that could be removed easily, or even not so easily, had been. There were tiny brown grains around the open gas cap. Looking around, Lucas saw a bucket turned over on its side nearby, with beach sand spilling out of it.

As Lucas stood there staring in disbelief, he heard a familiar sound behind him and turned to find a chattering Darwin splashing in the lagoon. Lucas hadn't seen the dolphin since early yesterday morning. Climbing out of the boat, Lucas knelt at the edge of the dock and stretched his hand out to rub Darwin's head.

"Hey, buddy," he murmured. "I'm glad to see you, too. Were you here when the Captain did this? What am I going to do now? The Captain needs help!"

Without the vocoder, Lucas couldn't understand Darwin's reply, but from the dolphin's agitation, Lucas felt that he knew something was wrong. Who knew what else the Captain had done during the night?

Lucas continued to caress the dolphin, his mind racing as he tried to come up with some kind of idea to get help. But the island was so isolated. They had stocked enough food for the next month, so they weren't expecting any supplies. No one expected Lucas and the Captain back anytime soon, so no one would be checking on them. From the extreme damage the Captain had done to both radios, Lucas highly doubted he could salvage enough to put together any kind of working communication device.

As Lucas continued trying to think of something he could do, Darwin suddenly began to chatter loudly and splash. Lucas jumped up, but before he could even look around, there was a yell from behind him, hands grabbed him, and he and his attacker went into the water.

Lucas gulped a mouthful of water as he went in, and desperately started struggling to reach the surface. But someone was holding him down! He finally managed to break free long enough to break the surface and gasped a lungful of air.

He frantically tried to back away from Captain Bridger, who surfaced next to him, reaching out to grab him again.

"I know what you're doing!" Bridger yelled, lunging toward Lucas. "You've always wanted the _seaQuest_! You're trying to steal all my ideas, and then you're going to take the _seaQuest,_ too! But you can't! It's mine!"

He reached out a hand and managed to grab hold of Lucas's arm, pulling the boy toward him. Suddenly Darwin was there between them, chattering frantically and causing Bridger to lose hold of Lucas. As Lucas made a frenzied effort to get away from the Captain, Darwin moved with him, pushing him away from Bridger. Bridger's eyes narrowed as he tread water, then he suddenly lunged toward Lucas again, screaming, "And now you want my dolphin, too! But he's mine, and you can't have him!"

He managed to get hold of Lucas again, while Darwin swam in frantic circles around the struggling pair. With a cry of rage, he pushed Lucas under the water and held him down.

Lucas grabbed the Captain's hands and tried to make him let go, but he was so strong! He twisted and turned, but the Captain's hands were like a vise, pressing him down. Lucas struggled and struggled, but the Captain seemed unnaturally strong. He kept pushing Lucas under until finally Lucas was starting to run out of air. He made one last frantic movement, and felt the last of his breath leave him. _I'm going to drown,_ he thought despairingly. He was still moving feebly, but his lungs were burning and his vision was starting to gray.

Suddenly, Darwin was there. He swam directly at Bridger and rammed into him, causing the Captain to release his hold on Lucas. Then Darwin was under Lucas's arm and was pushing him toward the sunlight.

Lucas's head broke the surface of the water and he took a breath of air, choking and spluttering. He tried to swim, but his arms and legs wouldn't seem to work. He could dimly hear Bridger thrashing behind him, still yelling, and he knew he had to get away.

Darwin nosed under his arm again, and Lucas tried to hold on as Darwin started swimming away from Bridger, parallel to the beach. As the boy and the dolphin moved away in the water, Lucas could hear Bridger screaming, "You and Darwin both! You both want to take everything away from me! But I won't let you! Do you hear me? You'll never have what belongs to me! Never!"

Darwin kept swimming and Lucas kept holding on, trying to stay conscious as the Captain's voice faded into the distance.

Bridger watched the dolphin towing the boy further away from him, knowing he could never catch them. But how far could they go? The dolphin would need to bring the boy back to land soon, there was nowhere else for them to go.

Bridger swam to the dock and crawled out. He couldn't believe that he had actually asked Lucas to help him with the _seaQuest_. It was so clear now. The boy was obviously trying to steal all his ideas. And now his dolphin, too! But Bridger was too smart for both of them. They would be sorry they had messed with him.

Striding back toward the house, Bridger began making his plans. Oh, yes, Lucas would be sorry he had double-crossed him. He would be sorry indeed.


	5. Chapter 4

Lucas woke slowly. Where was he? He opened his eyes, squinting against the bright sun, becoming aware that he was lying on his back partway in water and that his arms and legs were stinging. He could hear Darwin somewhere nearby, chattering urgently.

Lucas tried to sit up and groaned as he fell back. His chest hurt, his head was pounding, and he felt like he was going to throw up.

Taking it a little slower, he managed to roll onto his side and struggle into a sitting position. As his head began to clear, he remembered what had happened with the Captain, and he remembered Darwin pulling him to safety. Darwin had taken him as close to shore as he could, and Lucas had managed, with the help of the surf, to make it to the beach. His arms and legs bore the scratches and scrapes that were testimony to his efforts to drag himself out of the water until he was able to collapse onto the beach.

"I'm okay, Darwin!" he called hoarsely, causing himself to cough. He waved at the dolphin, who swam back and forth beyond the breaking surf.

Lucas looked around, trying to figure out exactly where he was. During his time on the island with Captain Bridger, he had explored it all. He thought he was about a mile from the house, around the curve of the beach.

Lucas struggled to his feet, swaying a little but managing to find his balance. He needed to get back to the house and check on the Captain. What if Darwin had hurt him and he hadn't been able to get out of the water? He could need help now.

Squinting at the location of the sun, Lucas figured it to be around 4:00, meaning the altercation in the lagoon had happened a couple of hours ago. He refused to let his mind go to other possible outcomes of the recent events. The Captain would be all right. He had to be.

Lucas began walking, slowly at first but gaining strength and mobility as he continued. His head and chest still hurt, but the nausea was receding as he moved. He rubbed a hand over his shoulders, feeling bruises where the Captain had held him down. He shuddered, almost unable to believe that the events of the day could be true.

Darwin continued to follow Lucas, out beyond the surf. Lucas could see his dorsal fin as the dolphin swam parallel to his path.

In the last stand of trees along this section of the beach, he paused to survey the house and the lagoon that were several hundred feet in front of him. He couldn't see any movement. On the dock, he saw Captain Bridger's shirt hanging on a piling. He distinctly remembered that the Captain had been wearing a shirt when they were in the water, so that must mean he had been able to get out of the lagoon. Thank God for that! The possibility that the Captain had drowned while Lucas had been passed out on the beach had been lurking in the back of his mind ever since he had awakened. He was glad to be able to let that possibility go.

Lucas stepped out of the cover of the trees cautiously and began slowly making his way toward the dock. He needed to look at the radio more carefully and see if there was anything he could salvage. He kept a careful watch on the house, but all was silent and still.

Reaching the dock, Lucas saw not only the Captain's shirt, but also his toolbox sitting on the ground nearby. Lucas prayed that the Captain hadn't taken a hammer or anything else to do even more damage to the radio.

Lucas walked out on the dock toward the boat. Still no sign of the Captain. But just before he reached the end of the dock, there was an ominous cracking sound, and the entire dock began to collapse under his feet. He jumped for the edge, but the collapse was so swift that there was no time. He went down with the dock, and hit the water amidst a shower of broken lumber. One piece struck a glancing blow to the side of his head, stunning him, but he managed to swim away from the area of collapse toward the open water of the lagoon.

The sound of the door of the house opening and running footsteps stirred him to motion. He quickly swam toward the shore, finding a place under the remains of the dock where he couldn't be seen. Huddling there quietly, he heard Captain Bridger approach and then stand still just a few feet away from his hiding place.

"Where are you, boy?" he heard the Captain mutter. "It had to be you that triggered my little surprise. After all, no one here but you and me. So where are you?"

Lucas heard the Captain walking up and down the shore, but Lucas was too far under the remains of the dock to be seen.

"He's a lucky SOB, that's all. He managed to get away. But that's okay. I'll get him next time."

Lucas shivered as he heard the footsteps and the muttering receding into the distance as the Captain strode away.

* * *

Lucas stood once again in the last stand of trees nearest the house. The setting sun was blazing a trail across the rippling ocean.

Darwin had, once again, come to the rescue and brought Lucas back to this area of the beach after the calamity at the dock. To his catalog of scrapes, scratches, and bruises, Lucas could now add a large knot on his head.

He had spent the rest of the afternoon resting and trying to regain his strength, while continuing to worry about what he could do to get help for the Captain. The only thing his mind kept coming up with was trying to find undamaged components from the two smashed radios, the one in the house and the one on the boat, and rigging something up that could transmit. But how was he to get them? He would never have believed that he could be afraid of the Captain, but he was. The Captain was actually trying to kill him, although he was having a difficult time wrapping his mind around that thought.

He had decided to wait for the cover of darkness and try again. He had seen Bridger on the boat earlier, although he wasn't able to see what he was doing. The Captain had then gone into the jungle for a while, then returned to the house. Since he went inside an hour ago, Lucas hadn't seen him.

Lucas waited for darkness, wracking his brain for anything he knew about head injuries, but unfortunately, it wasn't much. Medicine just hadn't held that much interest for him. He remembered reading some studies linking violent behavior to traumatic brain injury, but he couldn't remember the specifics. If that was what was going on, would the effects wear off? If so, how long might it take?

Lucas shook his head in frustration. He just didn't know. The only option was getting medical attention for the Captain, and getting it fast.

As the sun set and darkness began to descend over the island, Lucas saw lights come on in the house. After another hour or so, the lights began to go off, the last one being the one in Bridger's bedroom.

Lucas waited another hour to be sure, but all stayed dark and still. Finally he decided it was now or never. He returned to the ocean and swam out to meet Darwin. "Okay, buddy, let's go," he murmured, making the signal for "boat" and holding onto Darwin's dorsal fin. Darwin immediately began swimming toward the boat.

Luckily, the ladder on the starboard side of the boat was facing the ocean, so Lucas should be able to climb aboard without being seen. Reaching the boat, he let go of Darwin and swam to the ladder, carefully climbing it. At the top, he slowly raised his head above the side of the boat, looking nervously toward the house, but all was still quiet.

Stepping into the boat, Lucas headed for the radio. There was a full moon, so he had enough light to be able to see where he was going and would hopefully be able to see the radio components.

Unfortunately, the damage was just as bad as he remembered it. He began to rummage through the broken pieces, which appeared to be wet as well as smashed, looking for anything he could use, but without success. Suddenly, his hands began to burn. Snatching them away from the radio pieces, he squinted at them in the moonlight, trying to see what was wrong. Raising one hand to his face, he sniffed. He smelled an acrid scent and the burning was growing worse. Battery acid! It must have been poured on the smashed radio.

Lucas quickly climbed back down the ladder and into the ocean, with his hands burning all the way. When he plunged them into the salt water, he couldn't contain an indrawn hiss of breath at the pain of the salt on the burns.

There could be no doubt that the Captain had booby-trapped the radio. That must have been what he was doing on the boat earlier.

So his only other option was getting into the house and checking the radio there. But did he dare? He had to admit it, he was scared, but he couldn't see anything else he could do.

Swimming to shore, Lucas crawled up on the beach, trying to protect his burned hands as well as he could. He carefully crept across the beach to the house. Creeping around the perimeter, he found the radio room and checked the window. It was open. Trying to be as quiet as he could, he climbed inside.

Lucas began searching through the radio components, trying to make no sound. He kept glancing nervously over his shoulder at the closed door, but the house remained quiet and the door closed.

After several minutes of rummaging, Lucas had to concede that it was useless. The Captain had been too thorough in his destruction. There was nothing here that Lucas could use.

Dejectedly, Lucas climbed back through the window and started toward the beach. But before he reached it, a sudden explosion in front of him blew sand into the air and knocked Lucas off his feet. Looking around wildly, Lucas clambered to his feet. From behind a large rock further down the beach, he saw the Captain stand up, a small box in his hand. The Captain's other hand moved to the box, and another explosion occurred, a little closer to Lucas.

Lucas was effectively cut off from the beach. He turned and ran toward the jungle, hearing the sound of pursuit behind him. Reaching the trees, he dived off the path and hid.

He heard the sound of Bridger's footsteps on the path approaching, then slowing, then stopping.

"Always was a stupid boy," he heard the Captain mutter. "Thinks I can't see this is where he left the path? What does he think we learn in the military? We learn to find the enemy. And we learn to neutralize the enemy."

Lucas began trying to crawl quietly deeper into the jungle. He couldn't hear the Captain any more. Maybe he had gone in another direction? But even as he had the thought, a hand clasped his shoulder from behind and began pulling him backward.

"Got you!" the Captain growled.

Panic gave Lucas a ferocity he didn't even know was in him. He twisted like a cat, sinking his teeth into Bridger's hand. Bridger roared in pain and loosened his grip, and Lucas tore himself free and began to run.

Behind him, he heard Bridger laughing. "Run, boy!" he called after the fleeing Lucas. "But just remember there's nowhere you can hide that I can't find you! And when I do, then we'll really have some fun!"


	6. Chapter 5

"Aargh!" Lucas growled in frustration, as the spear he thrust into the water and pulled back out came up empty - again. "How can this be so hard?"

His stomach growled as if in answer. Lucas couldn't remember ever being this hungry. He had never been overly interested in food, only eating when he really needed to, as his slim build attested. He would sometimes surface from a particularly intense session working on his latest project and realize he had not eaten for a day and was hungry, but this was the first time he had experienced the gnawing ache of real hunger.

He had crept into the house two weeks ago, while Bridger slept, and stolen what food he could carry. Once that was gone, he was desperate enough to try again, but found that Captain Bridger had destroyed the food supplies. As more evidence of his disturbed mental state, it didn't seem that Bridger had kept anything back even for himself. He had destroyed everything in the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, spoiling and defiling it until Lucas hadn't been able to find anything still edible.

He had decided his best option was fishing. He knew where the Captain kept the fishing supplies, but when he undertook a carefully planned out mission to procure some for his own use, he found that Bridger had booby-trapped the storage building. He had narrowly escaped a crushing injury from the large stones that had fallen as he opened the door. As he had fled empty-handed into the jungle, he had heard the sound of Captain Bridger laughing behind him.

Lucas had been forced to improvise with a pointed rock lashed to a long stick by vines to create a spear. He had found a shallow lagoon with small fish in it, but so far he hadn't been able to catch any of them.

As Lucas leaned back against a rock to rest for a moment, he carefully scanned the area around him for any sign of Captain Bridger. The area seemed quiet but Lucas couldn't be too careful, as the previous weeks had taught him. Lucas had hoped that the Captain would start to heal and he would see signs that he was becoming himself again, but those hopes had proved to be in vain thus far.

A sudden chatter beyond the shallow waters where he stood drew his attention toward the ocean. Darwin was swimming back and forth, as if beckoning to Lucas.

After one more cautious look around, Lucas started swimming toward the dolphin. He had always loved Darwin, but now that the dolphin had saved his life more than once, he had even stronger feelings for him.

As Lucas drew near, he could see that Darwin held something in his mouth. The dolphin swung his head and threw that something at Lucas. As it splashed nearby, Lucas swam over and saw that it was a dead fish. He quickly grabbed it.

"Darwin, buddy, you are the best!" he exclaimed, swimming toward the dolphin and patting his melon when he reached him. "I am so going to enjoy this!"

Darwin chattered and swam back out, returning a short time later with another fish. "Thanks, Darwin," Lucas said. "You've saved me again. If we ever get out of this, I'll find some way to repay you." Patting the dolphin again, he swam toward the shore with his precious cargo.

Reaching the shore, he moved into the cover of the jungle to examine his prize. As hungry as he was, he couldn't quite bring himself to bite into the cool flesh of the fish. A fire might lead Bridger to him, though.

Studying the position of the sun in the sky, Lucas calculated there were only about two hours of daylight left. He decided his best bet would be to wait until the cover of darkness, then dig a pit in the sand of the beach out of sight of the house. If he built a fire in the pit, then the sand should hide it from Bridger's view. Hopefully, the darkness would hide its smoke. And he would get far enough away from the house that the smell wouldn't reach.

Sighing, he settled down to wait, trying to ignore the gnawing pain in his stomach.

* * *

Biting down into the cooked flesh of the fish, Lucas almost groaned in appreciation. Nothing had ever tasted so good to him! He devoured the first fish down to the bones, licking his fingers for every last bit.

His plan seemed to be working. Lucas had watched Bridger enter the house as darkness fell, then moved far along the beach to dig his pit and cook his dinner. The night was quiet, with only the sounds of the surf toward the ocean and insects toward the island's interior.

As Lucas bit into the second fish, the natural sounds of ocean and jungle were disturbed by a whizzing sound. Just as Lucas registered the noise, a fierce and shocking pain erupted in his side. Dropping the fish, Lucas grabbed at his side, his hands encountering something extending from his skin.

Looking down, Lucas saw an arrow shaft protruding from the side of his abdomen. Blood was trickling down and dripping into the fire, making sizzling sounds. Lucas looked wildly about and saw Captain Bridger standing above him, a bow in his hand. He was fitting another arrow onto the string.

"Not too smart, boy," Bridger said, smiling down at the terror-stricken boy beneath him. "If you'd been studying your enemy as you should have been, you'd have known I make perimeter rounds every night after dark. They've been disappointing so far, but I think tonight is going to make up for that!"

As Bridger began to bring the bow up, Lucas desperately grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on - a burning log from the fire. The log burned his hands, but Lucas ignored the pain and slung it at Bridger with all his might.

Even in his panic, or maybe because of it, Lucas's projectile flew true and straight. As it struck Bridger, causing him to drop the bow, Lucas frantically scrambled out of the pit, clutching his side, and fled into the jungle. Glancing back, he saw that the log had ignited Bridger's shirt sleeve and he was hurriedly patting the flame out.

That gave Lucas enough of a head start to find a hiding place. He curled around himself, trying to keep from crying out with the pain in his side and in his burned hands, while listening for sounds of pursuit. He couldn't hear anything but past experience had taught him that Bridger was a wily opponent and he couldn't let his guard down.

Lucas lay there, shivering and spent, praying that the Captain would lose interest, until the shock and blood loss from his wound sent him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Lucas came awake slowly. At first, he couldn't remember where he was and what had happened. But as he tried to sit up, a stabbing pain in his side brought memories of the previous night into sharp focus.

Lucas managed to work his way into a sitting position and took stock of his injuries. His hands were slightly burned, on top of his earlier acid burns, but they didn't seem too serious to him. Looking down, he saw the arrow shaft protruding from the right side of his abdomen. Feeling behind him, he found that the head of the arrow had passed through and was sticking out of his back. It hurt like hell, but after some painful probing, it seemed to Lucas that the arrow had passed just beneath his rib cage. He didn't feel as if any organs had been hit; it seemed as though the arrow had just passed through the flesh and muscle in his side. The blood loss had been minimal. He knew that he had to get the arrow out, but he also knew it was going to hurt like the devil. He had stolen some medical supplies earlier from the boat, so he would be able to clean and bandage the wound, but he found himself hesitating, unable to face the pain.

"You can do this, Lucas," he muttered to himself, steeling himself to move. "You have to stay in the game. You're Captain Bridger's only chance. You've got to come up with a plan to help him." Biting his lip, he managed to get to his feet by holding onto a nearby tree trunk. He swayed as he was assailed by dizziness, but after a few moments, his swimming head cleared and he felt strong enough to move.

He wasn't too far from his main hiding place, where he kept his supplies. Bridger hadn't discovered it yet. If he could reach it, he'd be able to treat his wound and rest for a while.

It took him the better part of an hour, but he made the painful trek through the jungle to his hidden den. Crawling inside, he slumped to the ground, exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself to the oblivion of sleep, but he knew he had to see to the arrow wound.

Reaching down with both hands, Lucas took hold of the long length of shaft in front of him. He knew he would have to break the shaft to be able to draw the arrow out from the back and the fletching from the front. Holding his breath, he snapped the shaft.

He tried to muffle the scream that he couldn't stop entirely. His side felt like it was on fire! Reaching behind him quickly, he grabbed the arrow and pulled it out, crying out at the pain. Blood began to flow from his front and back, but it didn't seem excessive as if any major blood vessels had been hit.

Lucas grabbed the strip of cloth he had ripped from his shirt during his preparations and pressed it to the entry and exit wounds. After cleaning the wounds with hydrogen peroxide, he bandaged them with gauze and wrapped an ace bandage around his middle to hold the bandages in place. Only then did he crawl onto his blanket and allow his encroaching weakness to envelop him. As he lay on his side, with his side and back throbbing and his hands burning, he let himself fall into a restless sleep.


	7. Chapter 6

It was dark. There was a low fog swirling around his feet. A wan moon gave an eerie light that came and went as dark clouds moved across its face. Lucas looked around and saw stones jutting up out of the ground. He moved toward one and touched it. Suddenly he realized it was a headstone. A cemetery? Where was he?

In the distance, there was a dark, forbidding-looking house. Lucas felt compelled to head toward it. As he walked, he heard a sound ahead of him, a low, droning sound. As he came closer, the sound grew louder and louder –

Suddenly, a figure jumped out from behind one of the headstones, holding a chainsaw, just as a cloud covered the moon, throwing the scene into darkness. "This is it, boy! This is the end!" the figure yelled. The cloud passed by the moon and in its glow Lucas saw the face of the figure.

"Captain Bridger!" he gasped, backing away. "Captain – please –don't!"

But Bridger just came nearer, gunning the chainsaw, laughing maniacally –

Lucas came awake with a gasp. His heart was pounding, keeping time to the throbbing in his head and side. "It was just a dream!" he said tremulously, but he could still hear the sound of the chain saw – wait, it wasn't a chain saw. It was a motor. A boat motor! Had the Captain managed to repair the boat engine? Lucas didn't think it was possible, but he knew what he was hearing.

Pulling himself to his feet, Lucas began to cautiously make his way back toward the house. His side ached with an intensity Lucas had never known before. Each step sent a stabbing pain through him. But reaching upon reserves Lucas had never known he possessed, he continued his journey.

Reaching the edge of the jungle closest to the house, Lucas slipped to the ground, panting and dizzy. After catching his breath, he found a vantage point where he could look out without being seen.

The boat at the remains of the boat dock was still as he had last seen it. There was no movement to indicate its motor was running. But he still heard the sound.

Looking out past it, Lucas saw the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. A boat! A boat was heading toward the island! Lucas didn't care who it was; all he could see was help coming.

A wave of relief washed over him. He looked toward the house for Captain Bridger, but saw no sign of him. The house and its surrounding environs were still and quiet.

As the boat came closer, he could see two figures in it. He couldn't see who they were yet. Looking around again for signs of Captain Bridger and seeing none, he stepped out into the open and began moving toward the remains of the boat dock as quickly as he could, clutching his side and ignoring his pain as best he could.

* * *

"Do you think they'll mind that we came unexpectedly, Jonathan?" Kristen Westphalen asked as the boat sped toward the small island. "It's just that it's a little worrisome that we can't raise them on the radio. I'm sure it's nothing, but I'll feel better to know for sure."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Jonathan Ford replied as he expertly steered the small craft on its course. "Captain Bridger gave me a standing invitation to stop by and help with the _seaQuest_ redesign whenever I could. So I was glad to get your call and have an excuse."

As they drew nearer to the island, Kristin frowned. "What happened to the boat dock?" she asked. "It's all in pieces! What could have done that?"

"I don't know," Jonathan said, frowning. "But let's find out."

As they came closer and throttled down the engine for docking, Kristen saw a small figure heading toward them from the interior of the island. "Is that Lucas?" she asked, squinting. "Why is he all hunched over like that? Something's wrong!"

The figure reached the shore and stood waiting for the boat, waving frantically. As Jonathan and Kristen came nearer, they could hear him shouting. "Dr. Westphalen! Commander Ford! We need help!"

As Jonathan eyed the remains of the boat dock, looking for a place to tie up, Kristen gave a startled gasp. "Lucas!" she screamed. "Look out!"

A disheveled figure had jumped out from behind a large nearby rock and was rushing toward the boy. As Kristen and Jonathan watched in dismay, the man knocked the boy down and began grappling with him.

"Jonathan! Hurry!" Kristen begged.

Jonathan ran the boat toward the shore, beaching it on the sand. Kristen and Jonathan could now see that the disheveled figure was Nathan Bridger. He had pinned Lucas to the ground and was straddling him to hold him down. As they watched in horror, he raised his arm above him and they could see that he held a knife.

"Nathan!" Kristen screamed, as Jonathan leaped from the boat.

Bridger was momentarily distracted, but quickly recovered, sending his knife hand plummeting downward. The distraction had been enough, however, to allow Lucas to frantically twist and try to roll away. The knife that was aimed for his chest hit his shoulder instead. He screamed out in pain.

Jonathan tackled Bridger a moment later, knocking him away from the boy. "Captain Bridger! What are you doing?" he yelled in disbelief. He was stunned when Bridger growled and attacked him. "Captain! Captain!" he yelled, trying to hold Bridger still. When Bridger continued to fight him, he was finally forced to hit Bridger in the jaw, knocking him out.

While Jonathan grappled with Bridger, Kristen had rushed to Lucas, who lay barely conscious on the ground. "Lucas! My God, what happened to you?" she exclaimed, running her eyes anxiously over the battered figure before her.

"It's not his fault - he's hurt - he hit his head. Help him," Lucas murmured. His eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.

"Jonathan!" Kristen yelled. "I need the first aid kit - now!"

Jonathan was still staring at the still figure of Captain Bridger in disbelief, but at Kristen's call, he snapped out of it and headed for the boat at a run. Grabbing the medical kit, he ran to Kristen's side. "How is he?" he asked.

"He's alive," was the terse reply. "I need to get this bleeding stopped in his shoulder, and then I need to see what's under these bandages." She glanced over at Nathan Bridger. "What about Nathan?" she asked.

"I had to hit him," Jonathan said guiltily. "He wouldn't stop fighting me. I don't understand what's going on here?"

"Neither do I," Kristen said tersely. "But you better watch Nathan while I take care of Lucas. Something is terribly wrong."


	8. Chapter 7

New Cape Quest - Three Days Later

Kristen sat beside Lucas's bedside at New Cape Quest General Hospital, holding onto a frail hand. Lucas lay still and pale against the crisp white sheets, bruises and contusions standing out starkly along with a flush of fever across his cheeks. His shoulder and hands were bandaged, and she knew that more bandages were concealed beneath the sheets.

"My poor love," she murmured, reaching out to stroke his hair. "God knows what you've had to endure."

Her thoughts turned to the occupant of the room next door. After three days of treatment for the toxic effects of the botanical contamination he had experienced, Nathan was still delusional, combative, and irrational. He was in restraints while he detoxed. Benzodiazepines were being administered to help control his agitation.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Lucas pulled his hand from hers, moving restlessly. "Please - don't," he muttered, his head rolling from side to side. "Captain - please - stop!"

"It's okay, Lucas," Kristin said, trying to calm the agitated boy. She grasped his hand again and placed her other hand against his forehead to hold him still. "You're safe now, my boy. Nothing's going to hurt you. Shh, be still now, everything's all right."

Although Lucas did not awaken, the sound of Kristen's voice and the touch of her hands seemed to sooth him. He sighed, settling, and seemed to drift into a deeper sleep.

Kristen sat back in her chair and studied him worriedly. He had undergone surgery to repair tendon damage in his shoulder and his physicians predicted a full recovery from the effects of that injury. His burned hands had also been treated and would heal. He had a slight concussion from some type of head trauma, along with numerous bruises, scrapes, and scratches over his entire body. The wounds in the front and back of his abdomen had become infected, causing him to spike a high temperature and keeping him from regaining full consciousness. But he was showing signs of responding to the strong antibiotics he was receiving. His fever was coming down, and Kristen hoped that he would soon awaken.

Leaning over to kiss him on the forehead, she left Lucas's room and entered Nathan Bridger's. Nathan was sleeping, which she preferred to the yelling, irrational man she had seen on her last visit. Sitting in the chair beside his bed, she reflected on the good luck that a world-renowned toxicologist had been at the hospital consulting on a case when Nathan had been brought in. When his blood work showed signs of a botanical agent similar to the THC produced by use of hallucinogenic mushrooms, the expert had been able to identify the agent as being the product of a very rare and toxic fungi. With that identification, treatment had been able to begin immediately but the detoxing was still a work in progress.

"Kristen?" a hoarse voice said. Startling, Kristen looked at Nathan, seeing that he was awake and looking at her in puzzlement. "Where are we? What's happening?" For the first time since she had seen him, Kirsten could see rationality in his eyes.

"You're in the hospital," she said, reaching out to touch his arm. "You've been very sick, but you're getting better."

Bridger's eyelids fluttered as he tried to stay awake. "Sick?" he murmured. "I – I – I don't remember…." His words faded as he sank back into unconsciousness.

"Oh, Nathan," Kristen said sadly. "I wish you would never have to remember."

* * *

"Good news, Dr. Westphalen," Dr. Coleman said as encountered her entering Lucas's room the next morning while he was leaving. "Lucas is looking much better today. He was awake a little earlier. We still don't have that fever completely knocked out and he was still disoriented, but he was lucid and coherent. I think we've turned the corner on that infection."

"Thank God," Kristen said, relieved. "And his other injuries? Everything else is looking well?"

"Yes. He's going to be experiencing some discomfort from that shoulder and he's in for a long round of physical therapy as soon as he's up and about. There will be discomfort from those puncture wounds, but everything is looking good. He's young and strong, and that has helped."

"Thank you for everything," Kristen said. Dr. Coleman patted her shoulder as he moved aside to let her enter the room.

Lucas was asleep, but he had some natural color in his face now instead of the hectic flush of fever. Crossing to his side, Kristin placed a hand on his forehead, feeling some residual warmth but not the heat of the previous day. As she stroked his hair, she saw his eyelashes flutter and then caught a glimpse of bright blue as his eyelids began to open.

"Lucas? Lucas, sweetheart, can you hear me?" she asked anxiously, leaning nearer.

Lucas coughed, and she quickly poured a glass of water from the bedside carafe. Adding a straw, she held it to his lips and encouraged him to take a sip.

"Dr. Westphalen?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm here. Everything's fine."

Lucas's brow furrowed and he shifted uncomfortably, wincing as he tried to move. Then his eyes opened wide. "The Captain! Where is he? He's hurt, he needs help!"

"He's fine, Lucas," Kristen assured him, encouraging him to lie still. "Jonathan and I called for a medivac copter to bring you and Nathan to New Cape Quest and you're both in the hospital. Do you remember that we came to the island?"

"Yes," Lucas said slowly. "I remember the boat was coming in - but then -" He shuddered and she saw tears fill his eyes. He brought a hand up to his face to rub his eyes, looking startled as he saw the bandages. "He tried to kill me," he said, his voice shaking. "The Captain tried to kill me."

"Oh, darling!" Kristen exclaimed, bending over the boy to hug him gingerly, trying to comfort while not inflicting more pain. "I know. But it wasn't him, not really. He wasn't himself. He was poisoned by some toxic mushrooms. But he's getting treatment and he'll be better soon."

As Lucas got control of his emotions, Kristen sat down in the chair by his bedside. "I want you to tell me everything that happened," she said, giving his arm an encouraging squeeze. "I need to know what happened to you, and I think you need to talk about it."

"It started when the Captain came back from his walk that morning," Lucas said, remembering. "His head was bleeding. He said he fell. I thought he was okay, but later that day…"

Lucas continued talking as Kristen's eyes filled with sympathy for what he had been through.

* * *

Kristen sat beside Nathan again two days later watching him sleep. Dr. Lawrence, the toxicologist, had given her a good report. He expected a full recovery with no lingering effects from the fungi poisoning. Nathan had woken briefly the previous day and during the night and was rational and coherent, although he had no memory of what had happened. He had been told he was suffering the effects of an accidental mushroom poisoning and had seemed to accept the explanation. Dr. Coleman felt that he was well enough to be told about what had happened and had left it to Kristen's discretion as to what and how much to say.

Beside her, Nathan moved restlessly in the bed. His restraints had been removed earlier that morning after Dr. Coleman had found his blood work to be clear and his behavior to be calm and rational. As Kristen watched, his brow furrowed as he rolled his head from side to side, and then slowly opened his eyes.

"Hello, Nathan, how do you feel?" Kristen asked, reaching out to him.

"Kristen? Where am I? Wait – I remember, I'm at a hospital. The doctor told me I was accidentally poisoned by mushrooms. Where did that happen? Did we have some mushrooms on _seaQuest?"_ Bridger asked hoarsely.

"Nathan, _seaQuest_ was destroyed when the World Power plant exploded. Don't you remember?" Kristin asked anxiously.

Nathan looked at her blankly, but then his gaze sharpened. "Yes, of course, I remember," he said. He reached up and rubbed his head. "I'm sorry, things are just kind of confused."

"It's fine," Kristen assured him. "Totally expected with what you've been through."

"I remember _seaQuest_ going down… then we were on the beach…" Nathan murmured, closing his eyes in concentration. "But everything after that's a big blank until I woke up here." He looked up at Kristen in confusion. "What happened?"

"Do you remember deciding to spend some time on your island while you worked on the _seaQuest_ redesign?" Kristin prompted him.

"Yes," Nathan said slowly. "I remember Lucas and I –" Nathan's head jerked up and his eyes snapped to hers. "Where's Lucas?" he demanded. "Was he with me? Is he all right?"

"Yes, yes, Lucas will be just fine," Kristen soothed him. "Just calm down." She took his hand and squeezed it.

"What do you mean, he **will be** just fine?! Did something happen to Lucas?" Nathan was becoming more agitated. "Tell me what's happened!"

Kirsten sighed. "I'll tell you, Nathan, but you're not going to like it," she said. "Do you remember going for a walk on your island and coming into contact with some kind of mushrooms or fungi? Lucas said you were covered in some kind of powder that smelled very strongly."

Nathan frowned, trying to remember. "Yes," he said, "I remember now, I fell off the path and into a clearing where these mushrooms were growing. A big cloud of powder went up and drifted back down."

"That was a very rare and toxic type of mushroom, Nathan," Kristen said. "A type of hallucinogenic mushroom, although the toxin it produces is to psilocybin what nuclear power is to a steam engine. It affected your mind. It caused you to believe things that weren't true. This is what Lucas told me…"

By the end of Kristen's recitation of the recent events, Nathan was crying. His earlier denials of "I would never do that!" and "That can't be true!" had dwindled to silence as he could see the truth in Kristen's eyes.

"Lucas doesn't blame you," Kristen said gently, holding his hands. "He knows it wasn't your fault."

"How could I ever hurt him, Kristen?" Bridger whispered brokenly. "He's like - like a son to me. How could I ever - " his words broke off as he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. "How can he ever forgive me?" he whispered.


	9. Chapter 8

"He's expecting you, Nathan," Kristen said, patting him encouragingly on the shoulder as Nathan stood outside Lucas's door. "It's going to be all right."

Nathan took a deep breath and gave her a bleak smile. He stepped into the room feeling a mixture of anticipation at seeing with his own eyes that Lucas was all right and guilt at what he had done.

Lucas was asleep. Nathan took in the sight of his bandaged shoulder and hands, the healing scratches and fading bruises. Tears sprang to his eyes. He had done this. He had hurt this boy.

Crossing the room, Nathan reached out to gently touch Lucas's hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Lucas stirred at the touch and his eyes opened. When he saw Bridger, he gasped and flinched back against the bed. As Nathan stepped back, he felt his heart breaking. He turned to leave.

"Captain Bridger! Please – don't go! I'm so sorry!" Lucas called after him.

Nathan stopped and turned slowly back toward the bed. "You're sorry?" he asked in disbelief. "Lucas, I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again. I did this to you," he said, letting his eyes drift over the battered figure in the bed.

"Captain, " Lucas said softly. "I know it wasn't really you. I always knew it wasn't really you. I know you would never deliberately hurt me."

"I don't even remember it," Nathan confessed, still standing across the room. "I almost killed you, and I don't even remember it!"

"Please, Captain Bridger. It's all right. I'm fine. You didn't mean it," Lucas insisted. "Please, don't go."

Nathan walked slowly across the room and gently reached out a hand to Lucas. Lucas grasped it in his own and said, "It's over now. You're back to yourself. Everything's fine."

Nathan shook his head in disbelief at the boy's generosity of spirit. "You are amazing, Lucas. Thank you. I don't know how, but I'm going to make this up to you. Can you really ever trust me again?"

Lucas studied the man before him, then smiled. "You're the only person in my life that I've ever trusted, Captain," he said quietly. "And nothing will ever change that."

Nathan breathed a shaky sigh of relief as he realized that what could have driven them apart had only made the bond between them stronger.

"Kristen says she had Jonathan arrange for Darwin to be flown in and he's in a tank at the aquarium that they use for expectant mother dolphins. As soon as you're feeling better, what do you say we pay him a visit? I understand we both owe him quite a lot."

Lucas's face brightened. "Absolutely! He's the best. And then maybe we can get back to work on the _seaQuest_ redesign, but what do you think about renting a cottage here in Florida? Not that I don't love your island, but I think we need a break."

Bridger laughed, amazed as he felt Lucas's complete forgiveness. "Lucas, you pick the place and it's ours for the duration."

THE END


End file.
